INDONESIA: The central government has promised not to impose the new visa-on-arrival policy in Riau Island's province's exclusive economic zones, Riau Governor Ismeth Abdullah said.

The governor said that the new policy would hurt businesspeople in the province, who earlier protested the new policy, saying it increased operating costs.

Ismeth said on Friday night Justice and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar had informed him of the decision on the sidelines of a meeting between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the country's governors at Cipanas Palace in Bogor, West Java, on Tuesday.

"Patrialis agreed to roll back the new visa-on-arrival tariff for Batam, Bintan and Karimun to the original US$10 for a seven-day stay, so there is no need to pay $25 for a 30-day visit," he said.

"The revised decision is exclusive to the Riau Islands areas, which borders other countries, and from what I heard, the new visa-on-arrival rule still applies to other parts of the country." - JP